Today is MLK Day and it’s a big deal. In 2008, it’s a shame that we still have so much prejudice and bigotry in our culture. Usually, it’s expressed in subtle ways, but it’s there, nonetheless. And yet, I’m thankful for the huge steps that we’ve taken in the last century. Bethanie asked me the other night, “Daddy, do we like Martin Luther King?” I said we sure do. He is a hero. He led people to stand firm in the face of segregation and discrimination in the face of extreme personal attacks.
He was a model leader who said, When you are right you cannot be too radical. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.
I’m so glad to be a part of a church where we practice equality. The color of our skin is just that, external colors that add variety to our lives. Sure, there are cultural differences that we bring to the table. We celebrate those differences and focus on what we have in common: our mission to see lives changed. That’s the only way to bring the kingdom of God to our world, when we understand that we’re all one family with one Heavenly Father who made each of us colored people.
Cole,
After you answered Bethanie “we sure do. He is a hero. He led people to stand firm in the face of segregation and discrimination in the face of extreme personal attacks.”
Did she reply by saying, “what?!?!”
🙂
Zak
No, I wasn’t real clear with where my response to Bethanie stopped. I said, “We sure do. He’s a hero.” Then I added, “At one time in our country, people thought that blacks and whites were not equal and they had separate doors and bathrooms and water fountains and seats on buses. It was a terrible thing and Martin Luther King led our country to make big changes. So that by the time I went to school, we had people of all races in class together.”